9 Signs You’re the Annoying Customer at the Restaurant
A night out at a restaurant offers the perfect break from the rigors of cooking and cleaning at home. Who doesn't love going out for a nice meal? The waitstaff is who, especially when you prove to be a pain in the butt.
They say the customer is always right, but what you don't know is sometimes the customer is a thorn in the side salad.
Can't tell if you're aggravating the staff at your favorite eatery? Here are 10 signs that you're the annoying customer at the restaurant.
You order everything on the side
Look, the food you order will ultimately wind up in the same place – your stomach. Asking for a side of mayonnaise just so you can have some say over the amount you put on that tuna salad sandwich isn't going to change anything. We are in the midst of an obesity crisis, you know.
You expect food to arrive the second after you order it
We don't live in the future of 'The Jetsons' where you can press a button and get your burger. Even fast food takes time. But bug your server enough and the chef can probably give you your dish in whatever half cooked state it's currently in. Or, you know, you could be patient for once in your life.
You send your food back. Several times.
It's one thing if you can see the blood oozing out of your porterhouse because it's too rare, it’s another to say you don't like the mashed potatoes because they have lumps in it. Just because the restaurant cooks the food in a way you don't like doesn't give you license to make sure you can fix it. If that was the case, you could go to McDonald's and order a Whopper.
You flirt with your server
Trust us -- she's just not that into you. She's only chuckling along with your non-witty repartee because it will increase the chances for a big tip, which, in a strange way means you're guilty of soliciting prostitution, since you're willing to swap money for any sort of acknowledgement from a member of the opposite sex.
You're rude to your server
You can easily judge a person by how they treat waiters. We've all lost our temper at incompetent servers from time to time, but if you're a jerk from the moment you sit down, and treat the waiter like they are your personal server, that's probably a good sign that you are a garbage person.
You constantly ask if your table is ready
We've all seen the 'Seinfeld' episode where they wait for a table at the Chinese restaurant. Repeatedly asking if your table is ready after being told a specific wait time is akin to a child saying, "Are we there yet?" It's not going to speed up the process and doesn't win you any points with the host or hostess.
You never, ever leave
Restaurants make money, in part, by turning over tables. More customers means more green in their pockets. It's pretty simple. But when you decide to hang around and shoot the breeze by downing your sixth cup of coffee, you're messing up the plan. So, in your own small way, you're doing your part to slow down the economy.
You complain about the lack of veggie options. At a steakhouse.
Or you get huffy when a vegan restaurant doesn't have meat, a Thai place doesn't serve Sesame Chicken, etc. We live in an amazing world where you can research your dining options ahead of time with a few clicks of the mouse. If you go to Whataburger and expect to get an amazing salad, you are doing it wrong.
You make tons of special requests
The second you start in with how that you hate rosemary and if there's even a hint of rosemary in your Rosemary Chicken then you will not touch it, your waiter immediately mentally files you in the "pain in the rear" category. There are only so many special requests a waiter can take before they just start ignoring your table altogether.
-- Written by Drew Weisholtz and Nick Nadel